Have you ever suffered from a book hangover? I have. Many others have. A book hangover is when you´ve finished a book and realize you aren´t ready to jump back into the real world. You´re still in the book world. For me- Book hangovers are a tad more dramatic. I´m a daydreamer. When I finish a book ( and I loved the story ) I tend to suffer for a super long time, thinking about the events characters went through, if I would have acted differently, etc. Weird, I know. Thank God I don´t suffer all too often from those pesky feelings.

When I think of book hangovers I think of one author- J.M. Darhower.

I remember, way back in the early blogging days, when rumor had it that J.M. Darhower would release a new novel, `Monster in His Eyes`. Soon the cover reveal made it´s rounds through social media and I… well, I was reluctant to read the book because of the hype readers/bloggers created. I avoid overly hyped books with a passion because I always get disappointed when my expectations are too high.

Needless to say- I ended up buying the paperback a month after the book released.

What I thought would be another sappy romance turned out to be an action packed, nerve wrecking, gut turning, dark ( with a hint of erotic ) romance. A romance about a hitman who´s on a mission but get´s distracted along the way and needs ( seriously NEEDS) to stay focused on his task(s). Let´s just say that Ignazio / Naz is one unique character who you will fall head over heels for, no matter what he does.

For me, reading this book felt like I was a fly on the wall, in a room filled with dangerous Italian mafia, spying.

Jesus! What a mindblow story.

`Monster in His Eyes` sucks you right in and grabs tight, leaving you no other choice but to keep reading. The writing style is a joy. The characters are fabulous. I just have so much love for this book, it´s not even healthy, anymore. ( said the book psycho who´s writing this article)

And the best part? There´s a second book to `Monster in His Eyes`.

`Torture to Her Soul` picks up right where `Monster in His Eyes` left off. Let me tell you…. It´s different but OH SO GOOD. I´m surprised I didn´t have heart problems while reading the second installment because it´s filled with action, love and lots of angsty moments. Let´s say the story is brutally romantic.

Then there´s book #3, `Target on Our Backs`. What can I say that I haven´t already said? It´s just a piece of wonderful mafia art. A nice conclusion to a fab story with great sub-characters worth remembering * wink wink * ( Check out the Scarlet Scars 1&2)

You should listen to the convo´s Kristi and I have over these books. They´re worth gold.

For me, J.M. Darhower is a Goddess of dark romances.

As for my mug: the poor thing slipped in the J.M. Darhower shadow.

I call my red mug the Mafia Cup. For one- It´s red. Red suits a dark read, especially when there´s violence involved. Plus my mafia mug can hold a decent amount of hot chocolate which allows me to enjoy a few chapters before having to refill.

I can´t recall what possessed me to buy a red mug, though. I´m usually more of a cold color type ( lots of gray, blue, purple, etc.). All I remember is walking through the GreenGate shop and thinking “Why the hell not?”, which isn´t really a good reason to buy something. A knee-jerk purchase I haven´t regretted….yet.

When you love people, you want what´s best for them, and sometimes what´s best for them isn´t you. ( Torture to Her Soul )

“Judge him by his actions and not by your suspicions” he says. “Because if the only measure of a man´s worth is what he does to make money, alot of good men would be judged unfairly.” ( Target on Our Backs )

I knew she was bad news when she walked into my office, but I just couldn’t help myself…

Filthy, sexy and full of surprises, Juliet is so hot she has me on fire. I’ve met my match and I can’t help going back for more.

Then there’s Madison… she’s sweet, funny and awakens in me a fierce need to protect her.

But I don’t do relationships. I don’t usually do the same woman twice.

Juliet and Madison: Two very different women have got me completely hooked.

Who will I choose?

I know who I should choose, but I never said I was the hero of this story, or even the good guy. And besides, who wants to be good, when it feels so good being bad?

My tale isn’t for the faint-hearted. If you’re game, strap yourself in and expect the unexpected. But don’t say I didn’t warn you…

My Thoughts

Monica James is my GO – TO author. This woman has her writing down to a T. It all started out when I read her very first novel `I Surrender` a few years back. Now, many published books later, I´m sitting here and feeling as happy as any reader could feel.

What can I say about this book?

`Dirty Dix` ( Book #1 in the Hard Love Romance ) is a fun, exciting and intriguing read that´ll put you on a ride you´ll never forget. In fact, this story is so addictive it makes it´s readers long for more.

The story is brilliant. Easy going and playful at first and then everything slowly becomes complicated.

New Yorks top psychiatrist, Dr. Dix Mathews, drowns in two women who are both toxic to his own health.

Both women couldn´t be more opposite from one another and Dr. Dix finds himself in a position he shouldn´t have been in the first place.

What to do, what to do? Dr. Dix is screwed one way or another. Or is he?

This book reminds me of a time when I dated 2 guys at the same time. I was 16 back then and everything went well before both were standing in my mom´s livingroom. The one guy had a bouquet in his hands and the other wore a confused look on his face. I decided to bail. Crawl my way out of the house through my bedroom window and make an epic escape. But I got caught by my mom outside ( I was a terrible teenager).

I wish Dix had a window to make a grande escape but he wasn´t so fortunate ( neither was I, to be honest. I had to deal with both and ended up alone until I dated my husband 3 years later. What a miserable time!).

ANYWAYS…. Dix.

I loved Dix. His character was something special. A doc who helped others for a living got caught up in his own little personal hell. What´s not to love? Reading his parts brought so much satisfaction. The poor bastard struggled. He was a professional with a broken heart who ignored the rules. And with every step that beautiful man took he unintentionally dug his own grave deeper and deeper. He was fighting an emotional war with his desires, his own personal addiction.

Dix and Juliet were a match made in sex heaven. Dix and Madison were a match made in relationship heaven.

Who will he pick? Both? Neither? Will anyone find some sort of happiness in this book? You´ll have to find that one out for yourself.

All I can tell you is that this story was so good I couldn´t put it down. And the cliffhanger ending… I saw it coming. I truly did. I just hoped it wouldn´t happen. But it did and now I´m left with the awkward feeling of not knowing what´ll happen next until I can get my greedy claws on book #2, `Wicked Dix`.

An enticing, sexy and hot read!

The Cover – 4 stars ( I´m not such a fan of a buffed torso on a book cover but I am a fan of a white shirt and black tie. There´s something sexy about that. And the colors are great.)

The Story – 5 stars ( Way cool. Brings back so many ugly but now funny memories.)

The Characters – 5 stars ( Dix, Madison, Juliet, Finch and Hunter… What a great lot!)

My emotional state after finishing this read – Excited. I just can´t wait to find out what happens next!

Months after getting kicked out of college my senior year, I made a split decision and moved in with my best friend and his roommate, Nix.

I never thought I’d try the whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing with Phoenix, but he didn’t seem to mind when I offered up the idea.

We promised no feelings would get involved.

We lied to each other, to ourselves.

In his eyes, I wasn’t just the deaf girl or the family burden. I was beautiful and smart and a bit crazy with some anger issues which he overlooked because to him, I was normal.

We were never supposed to be more, but you can’t fight that pull when the stars align.

We are fire and water.

Stars and the moon.

Phoenix and Luna.

This is the story of how a man who loves everything showed a girl how to love herself.

My Thoughts

Once upon a brutally boring night on Facebook I spotted something that stopped me dead in my tracks. The cover for Briana Pacheco´s `A Sky Full Of Secrets`( Cosmic Love #1). After reading the description I acted quickly and ordered myself the paperback… because there was no way I was going to settle for the e-book version ( pretty books need to be on an actual bookshelf!).

The book arrived. I started reading. I finished. I liked it alot.

Make room for Briana Pacheco! She´s going to conquer the book world!

`A Sky Full Of Secrets` is not one of those over dramatic romances with over-the-top first world problems. It´s a story about love, acceptance and dreams. It´s about conquering your fears, dealing with what life throws at you and finding happiness when you´re not sure you´re ready for it.

Luna´s life became difficult when she became deaf. From then on everything slightly went down hill, until…… Phoenix happened.

But Phoenix ( Nix ) wasn´t supposed to happen. Luna didn´t want anything to happen. All she asked for was a normal life and little did she know Nix was exactly the person who could give her that.

But was Luna ready to break down the walls she so carefully built around her heart?

You´ll have to find that one out for yourself by reading the story.

I liked that there wasn´t a super villain. The biggest issue was Luna herself ( including her family) and the way she made her life unnecessarily difficult due to her insecurities and her past. How does one fit in when they don´t feel like they will ever fit in? Luna´s thoughts and feelings were well displayed and I enjoyed reading about her struggle ( that sounds odd. * g * ) She was just a normal girl with a disability that kept her from loving herself and enjoying life as she should have.

A great modern romance with all the feels.

The Cover – 5 stars ( seriously, It´s beautiful. Period.)

The Characters – 4 stars ( Phoenix was the best. His character was interesting and had so much to offer * insert hearts*. Luna was great as well. Mac…..dear Lord. Create a real Mac for me.)

The Story – 4 stars(What I liked most was the aura the story had. Although this is a well written contemporary romance it had a magical touch to it. )

My emotional state after finishing this read- Down right happy and satisfied.

We´ve all seen them. They´re all over the internet, on movie / book covers and even in magazines in form of recommendations or as one-liners included in ads. In one form or another – we´ve all been confronted with someone´s opinion on something that piques our interest. Reviews.

We live in a time where everyone has the opportunity to raise their voice and be heard and the easiest way for that to happen is through the internet. Luckily- not everyone has to be a professional writer to whip up a few words and publish them.

Reviews play a major role in the book industry.

When an author decides to publish their work they need people who will read their book and leave an opinion on their story, or else, their dream of „ getting out there“ will less likely come true.

Sadly, alot of great books don´t get enough recognition. Many good stories never see a large audience. Why is that?

Well, maybe the book is terrible. Maybe the genre of the book isn´t popular and therefore hasn´t been able to reach a larger audience. Or, maybe… just maybe the book doesn´t have enough reviews.

In alot of cases, all points above can be the reason for lack of success. In my humble opinion- the main reason for a missing fame is a missing review.

Mouth to mouth propaganda used to be a reliable source when it came to spreading the word. But these days- it´s not enough to tell your neighbor about the awesome book you recently finished reading. You have to use the tools you´re given in order to help spread the word and that tool is the internet.

Now, I know what you´re thinking because I think about it alot before I purchase a book.

Are reviews reliable? To be perfectly honest… the answer is YES and NO. The problem with reviews are- they´re subjective. Reviews are 20% based on facts and 80% based on personal feelings. Every reader who writes a review will always know what the story is about but their feelings on the story is what makes a review a review. So, can I trust a stranger´s opinion about a book I want to read? The answer is still YES and NO. It depends.

But one thing is for sure- reviews help and here are the 5 reasons as to why reviews are important.

Reviews Help Indecisive People

Despite the fact the reviews are subjective, they still help readers make a decision. It´s a trust issue. It could also help to read more than one review before picking the next read. What usually helps me is to skip all the 5 out of 5 star ratings and go straight for the 3 star reviews. Those are mostly more trustworthy than all the ramblings from the outstanding ratings. Reviewers who give 3 stars often take a step back and try to be less emotional about what they´ve read.

Reviews Increases Sales

Believe it or not. Reviews help with sales. If you´re a fan of an authors work, especially a fan of an independent author, then publishing an online review can help them climb up the ladder of success.

Reviews Help Get An Author Noticed

So you read a book and want to share your thoughts? You call a friend or you mention the book at a party and that´s where it usually ends. The bush drums have collected dust over the last few years. My first boss used to tell me- „Good news spreads at a snails pace but bad news spreads quicker.“. There´s alot of truth behind those words but nevertheless, if you don´t spread the word ( positive or negative ) then people won´t know. People won´t notice the amazing author your discovered if you don´t use your tools ( technology ). It takes one curious person to stumble upon your opinion on the internet and you have the power to persuade that person with your thoughts. And in the end, you also helped an author get noticed. It´s a win / win for everyone.

Reviews Help Authors Improve Their Skill

It´s true.

Reviews are not only there to help with sales and convince a reader to buy a book, reviews are a form of feedback for authors.

If 20 people wrote that they hated the story then that´s their opinion based mainly on their feelings. It´s then a matter of taste. But when 20 or more reviews say the story lacked emotions then that´s something an author can work with. That´s called constructive feedback. Sadly, both don´t really help an author with sales but it can help an author improve their skill and write a book with more emotions for the future. If no one points out the positive or negative then an author will never know if they´re doing something right or wrong.

Bonding Through Reviews

Who would have thought that reviews are also a great way to meet new people and possibly make new friends? Yupp. Whatever a review entails there are always going to be people who either agree or disagree and that can bring people together. It can be an author who liked your review or it can be another reader… when someone reacts to your review and reaches out then there´s a good chance to make a new friend ( or enemy ). It´s not science, it´s nature. And here´s the clue- when people bond over a mutual interest then they eventually expand and form groups that often turn into larger groups and that always leads to a small fan base. The small fan base meets another small fan base and they create a large clique. That´s how an author CAN get fans and fans meet new people and sooner or later they become devoted cheerleaders with a purpose. Another win / win.

The truth, though, stays the same. Not everyone wants to write a review for the public eye. Many are just comfortable reading and leaving it at that. Which is fine. But keep in mind- If no one writes a review then others can´t be helped. Reviews do not have to be as lengthy as a novel. They don´t even have to sound professional. The sole purpose of a review is to help ( or not help, depending on the type of feedback you want to give ). It only takes a few words, maybe 5 lines to state your opinion. You also don´t have to use every single social media to publish your review. Pick one platform ( Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, FB, etc.) and I guarantee someone will see it. You can even contact a blogger and speak with them about your thoughts and maybe co-write a review with them. The possibilities are endless.

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

My Thoughts

Okay. At first, when I read the line Can you love someone too much? I couldn´t stop laughing. I still laugh when I read that. The answer is YES! Travis is capable of loving someone too much. I´d go so far and say his love is suffocating. But that´s just me.

`Walking Disaster` ( Beautiful #2 ), by Jamie McGuire, is the same story as `Beautiful Disaster` ( Beautiful #1 ) only this time, it´s told from Travis´s perspective.

If you´ve been following my reviews you probably know by now that I dislike dual POV´s. It´s bad enough having them in one book because they´re often ( very often ) repetitive scenes with little or no additional insight. When a MC from a previous book get´s his own story it´s worse because you have nearly the same amount of pages with the exact same amount of story and dialogue.

If I´m honest- it´s a rip off for me. I´m paying double for the same story with a 10% more use of the word „fuck“ in it. THAT is why I didn´t want to read this book at first. I sensed that this was going to be a 1:1 copy of the first book. My gut told me that it wasn´t going to be worth it. My friends, on the other hand, were yapping and swooning over the what they said was the best POV of all times!

I really have to start listening to my gut instead of my friends. I was right. `Walking Disaster` is just a 1:1 copy of the first book. I kid you not. Same scenes, same dialogue, etc, etc. Am I mad? Slightly.

I can´t really say that reading this book was a waste of my time. Not completely. I see the whole ordeal in a positive light. It was a re-read. An expensive one. That´s what aggravates me. I don´t have money growing from a tree in my back yard. Books aren´t cheap and if I get the same story with almost the same cover image I´m gonna be disappointed and my wallet´s going to cry.

Readers who´ve already read the first book KNOW how Travis is. He´s a loveable , passionate lunatic. I didn´t feel the need to dive into his little obsessive world and lust after Abby some more. I got the picture while reading book #1.

The few new scenes didn´t make this read more special for me. In fact- I didn´t really care much for them. I wasn´t sitting here with my mouth open from shock. * sigh *

Still- It´s a great story but you do NOT have to read book 1 and 2. Either one is enough.

Would I recommend this read?

Sure. To any Die-Hard Travis Maddox fan, definitely. For the rest of the world- Nope.

The Cover – 2 stars ( It´s like the people in charge of the cover were on a creative strike.)

The Story – 5 stars ( Same ol´, same ol´ with a lot more swearing and an obsessive mindset.)

The Characters – 5 stars ( It´s a 1:1 copy. I´m not going to hate what I loved before. )

My emotional state after finishing this read- Mad. Disappointed.

In short- I loved the first book so I can´t hate the exact same story just because of the POV switch. BUT…I can give this a lesser rating because I feel like I´ve been ripped off.

Slammed ( Slammed #1 )

Book Description

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

My Thoughts

Are you searching for something emotional? Would you like to read something that will touch your soul and break your heart and at the same time fix all your problems? Search no more. You´ve found what you´re looking for.

CAUTION: This review contains FOUL LANGUAGE. If you don´t approve of certain words I suggest you skip this review because, quite frankly, I have no other way to express my feelings towards this book.

What started out innocent turned into a „For fuck´s sake, why am I crying AGAIN!“ story. 354 pages of „I will never be able to emotionally recover.“. What on earth possessed this author to write such a gut wrenching, sob – worthy, fantastic story? Because- `Slammed` is exactly that. And it´s brilliant.

After the death of her father, Layken moves from Texas to Michigan with her mother and younger brother, leaving the only life she has known behind to start new.

Layken doesn´t like the change but is absolutely happy for her brother when he bonds with the neighbor´s kid, who also happens to have a hot, older brother. Will. Their new life doesn´t seem so gloomy after all. He introduces his passion, slam poetry, to Layken and soon enough, both hit it off and together they develop a relationship like no other.

Now, before I give away anything else, please know that this story is not what you think it is. It´s so much more. And if I´m honest, I have no fucking clue how I got through this read without breaking into a thousand pieces. My gray sofa was covered in a blanket of white crumbled tissues.

The main focus is at first on Layken and how she deals with the loss of her father, how she adjusts to her new life but also how she handles the quick happiness she´s found with Will. Their relationship has a twist but that´s nothing compared to what happens later in the story.

Sure, there´s romance, there´s wit, there´s cute moments where you wish you were that age again just to relive the intensity of a first love…. and the hope that that love stays your only love for the rest of your life. But life is about more than just love. It´s about what´s happening around you, too.

`Slammed` is moving, touching and, at times, so fucking unforgiving.. I didn´t know what to do with myself while reading. What these characters went through was beyond anything I would wish for anyone. The hurt, the loss, the love and the devastation ripped my heart in two. My tears wouldn´t stop flowing! God damn it. I haven´t felt this emotionally confused since `Hopeless` which is also from Colleen Hoover. ( I´m seeing a pattern here.) There were happy tears, sad tears, tears from relief, tears of sorrow… * head against table* And smiles. God, I was confused while reading `Slammed`. I´m not going to dive into the poetry from the characters because that´s just brutally raw. Fuck.

A story about young love, acceptance, forgiveness and above all, about life. `Slammed` is beautiful in the simplest way ever.

`Slammed`( Slammed #1 ) is available in paperback and ebook format on Amazon.com

Point Of Retreat ( Slammed #2 )

Book Description

From the bestselling author of Slammed, comes Colleen Hoover’s next big hit.Layken and Will have managed to overcome the obstacles that threatened to destroy their love, proving that they are destined for one another. What they are about to learn, however, is that the things that have brought them together may be the very things that ruin their connection forever…Layken is left second-guessing the relationship whilst Will is jumping over hurdles to prove his love for her. What the young lovers discover about themselves along this journey may change their entire world and the lives of those who depend upon them the most…

My Thoughts

I´m, for once, thankful for a Colleen Hoover book that hasn´t brought me to tears.

Will and Lake´s story continues. `Point Of Retreat` ( Slammed #2 ) wasn´t as heartshattering as book #1, `Slammed` but it was just as intense (!!!). Right to the point where I was afraid for the MC´s relationship. Because, this couple is meant to be together. My emotions were all over the place.

After the events from `Slammed`, Will and Layken now have to learn how to deal with everyday life. With both being relatively young they decide to take over the parental roles and raise their siblings, which proves to be a challenge for the 19 and 23 year olds.

New problems surface, making Lake question her relationship. Life isn´t a box of chocolates for Layken but with the help of Will and a few friends life doesn´t seem so worthless. Or does it?

To make this short and simple ( since I´ve already gushed my feelings over the first book more than enough ) I loved this book. A perfect follow-up story that gives a reader the satisfaction of knowing what happens next.

`Point Of Retreat`is told from Will´s perspective, which I found was brilliant because I was dying to know how he saw Layken and the situation they were in. His character couldn´t be more opposite from Layken´s… Will was, less difficult.

Lake/Layken often acted like a little shit over peanuts but that can be blamed on the many issues she´s had to deal with within a short time span. Her life wasn´t easy and anyone in real life would have needed quite a few therapy sessions to get over what Layken dealt with. So, despite my love and understanding for her character I still felt a tad annoyed by her behavior.

All in all a really great read that tugged at all my heartstrings. I felt `Point Of Retreat`. I felt the heartache, the sadness, the happy moments, the intimacy, the power of Colleen Hoover´s writing.

Would I recommend this book?

Definitely. After you read `Slammed` a reader will most definitely want more and this book gives more. Also, this book shows how two young people manage life under difficult circumstances. I know alot of 30+ adults who haven´t a clue how to start managing anything for themselves. This could be an eye opener and if not then this book is definitely entertaining.

The Cover – 5 stars ( What´s more to say other than I really like it?)

The Story – 5 stars ( Perfect follow-up story that includes more beautiful poetry and meaning.)

The Characters – 4 stars ( Will was perfect. If Layken was a little less dramatic then I would have loved her just as much. And Julia. Oh. My. God. I want a Julia in my life. )

This Girl ( Slammed #3 )

Book Description

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

My Thoughts

`This Girl`. This book. THIS SERIES!

Be still, my beating heart… for this is the end of a phenomenal story. Or is it? I´m not sure. It sure looks like it´s the end and feels like it, too.

Either way- I´m bummed. So many feelings felt, so many tears shed and now I have to deal with the harsh reality of a life without Will & Layken.

I know, I know. All good things must come to an end at some point- especially when it comes to stories- but I´m not ready for this one to end.

When I saw the cover and tagline about the title my heart stopped.

Love conquers everything, but can it excuse the past?

I was terrified. There´s only so much fictional characters can go through without wanting to kill themselves or ending up in a nuthouse. My only option was to breathe and hope for the best. Right? It´s not like I have many useful feelings left for the author to play with. Colleen Hoover pretty much exhausted me ( in a good way, of course).

`This Girl` (Slammed #3 ) by Colleen Hoover is the honeymoon book. Here, a reader gets a story rehash in form of the MC having a stroll down memory lane while being on their honeymoon.

Again- If you believe I just revealed the whole story then you´re wrong. Aside from the flashbacks there are a few additional scenes and a total heartwarming epilogue, all told from Will´s POV. This is pretty awesome. * frantically nod *

While having their much deserved break from life, Will and Layken use the time to get deep and talk about… stuff. Things that are usually spoken about in private when couples reflect on their relationship and when they want to look forward. Brilliant!

`This Girl` is raw and real.

`This Girl` is a captivating story.

`This Girl` is a perfect.

A pretty swift and beautiful ending for a story that has milked my emotional household dry.

`This Girl` is a mandatory read for fans of the `Slammed` series. The whole series is a must read for everyone who isn´t familiar with the author or her books.

Now, let´s get back to the painful tagline from the book cover. I can answer that one easily.

YES! Love CAN excuse the past!! Now stop trying to play with the little feelings I have left, Mrs. Evil Author.

Would I recommend this book?

Yes. I would. I wouldn´t necessarily read `This Girl` before `Slammed` and `Point Of Retreat`, though.

Hopeless ( Hopeless #1 )

Book Description

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

** WARNING- REVIEW IS OF A PERSONAL NATURE**

My Thoughts

`Hopeless`. My first Colleen Hoover book.

It all started years ago, New Year´s Eve 2012 to be exact, when I suffered from unhappiness ( not depression. Just plain and simple unhappiness). I was pregnant, my marriage wasn´t going as I had hoped it would, I had a million bills to pay and didn´t know how to pay them with being unemployed at the time ( I wasn´t allowed to work as a chemnist during my pregnancy )… Life was in general one truck load of horse shit. On that New Year´s Eve I had a fight with my husband and he left the house before it turned midnight and I was too proud to sit and cry over him. So, what did I do? I downloaded the Kindle app and bought my first ebook- `Hopeless`.

I was thinking, „Title sounds fitting.“ and started reading. During those hours of reading I felt the words written by Colleen Hoover sooth me. I was a mess and the author was able to let me forget about everything. I was sharing a world with Holder and Sky, accompanying the two main characters on their own heartfelt journey.

And the story was beyond anything I had expected it to be. The story felt realistic. The characters felt real, their words / Colleen Hoover´s written words carried meaning and gave me hope. But hope for what exactly, I didn´t know. I just felt it and it felt wonderful but at the same time, I was scared shitless because a book / a story never made such an impact on me before. My life is nothing like the characters life so I can´t relate to anything that has happened in Hopeless. Except for the words. In an odd way, they felt like… me.

You see, my pride from before… when I refused to cry over my own miserable life ( incl. the fight with my husband )… that pride was knocked down and I was a sobbing mess at 4:00 a.m. To this day, I have no idea how it was possible for one person, I didn´t know personally, to make that happen. Me? Cry? Yeah, right. I had better things to do. Life is short- better not waste it on crying.

I cried and recovered only to start crying again. When I thought I was losing my marbles I called my mom at 5 a.m. and scared the living daylights out of her because she couldn´t understand a word I was saying. I remember her asking if my water broke, asking for my husband and wanting to know who the hell Holder was. She also kept repeating that the „Sky“ was still dark and she was coming over. Bless the best mom on earth because she came by and made us a hot chocolate at the ass crack of dawn and we both talked about `Hopeless` until the sun came up.

It took me a full week to completely recover from my book funk. It took my husband and I a day to become best friends again ( because that´s what we also are.). But that book….. bah. Brutal for my well kept hidden emotional household.

Now that I´ve bored you to death with my personal experience with `Hopeless`I´ll put you out of your misery and talk about the story.

I loved it. It doesn´t get any simpler than that. Reading the story felt like sitting out on the grass at night, waiting for fireworks to go off and when they did they lit the sky and blinded me with their pretty lights for hours.

`Hopeless`is a story about a 17 year old named Sky who wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But for her to do so she needs to go to a public school and make some friends, amoungst other things.

Sky meets Holder, a guy with a questionable reputation, and before Sky knows what´s happening..her little sheltered world gets shaken up. Unknown secrets surface and threaten to reveal the truth about Sky and the world around her, including Harder.

This is a perfect example for a well written Young Adult book. There are bits of romance, bits of heartbreak, bits of how screwed up life can be…. `Hopeless` is the poster child for the complete package, including an ending that will most definitely tug at your heartstrings. What more can a reader want?

`Hopeless` is a stunning story that will haunt readers in the most beautiful way, for a very long time.

It´s been 5 years since I first read `Hopeless` and the author has written many more books since then but this one will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Would I recommend this book?

Yes. I would. I tried to recommend it to my mother, though, but to this day she refuses to read the story. She thinks the book is plain evil for making her ( back then ) 29 year old baby cry.

Would I reread this book?

To be honest- I´d love to but I´m terrified. As beautiful as the story was I don´t think I could handle another round of emotional damage. ( I´m fine now, though. * smiles * )

The Cover – 4 stars ( It´s nice. Definitely nothing compared to what´s been roaming around the book world )

The Story 5+ stars( A brilliant story about 2 young people discovering the truth )

The Characters 5 stars ( I have so much love for those fictional characters. )

My emotional state after finishing this read – Well, it´s been 5 years since I last read `Hopeless`, but I still remember the devastation, the love and the relief I felt afterwards.

I´m giving `Hopeless`, by Colleen Hoover, 5 out of 5 stars

To purchase this book just click here here and begin reading. I guarantee you´ll love the story.

Losing Hope ( Hopeless #2 )

Book Description

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

My Thoughts

After my heart shattering experience with `Hopeless` ( Hopeless #1 ) I thought I could never go near that story ever again. I mean- That story did unfamiliar things to my cold heart. Was I really up for the same thing, only from the Hero´s point of view? Was Holder´s side of the story necessary?

If I´m honest- Besides not wanting to do another 24 hour cry session I also don´t like to read the same story told from a different perspective. I´m fine with a story being over the first time, if that makes any sense.

I used the „rip off the band-aid“ technique and looked away while I clicked the 1-click button on Amazon. To make a long story short- I liked `Losing Hope`. My reading experience with the switched POV was good. Did I go through another emotional meltdown? Surprisingly, no.

Not being as much in love with this story doesn´t mean I didn´t like it. `Losing Hope` was an enjoyable read. Holder´s point of view was good but his side of the story, including the few additional parts, didn´t feel as powerful for me. The big surprise was already out.

And this brings me back to my question: Was reading Holder´s POV necessary? In my humble opinion- No. The reason for that is because Holder was always available in the first book. He was there all the time so I didn´t have a chance to miss him, nor did I have the feeling that I needed to know more about him. His character was pretty vocal, honest and completely fulfilling.

A reader does get a few additional scenes that made this story a little more different and not a 1:1 copy of the first book, which I found absolutely fab.

I would totally recommend Holder´s version to anyone who has already read `Hopeless`. It´s a great story that shouldn´t be left out of a Colleen Hoover book collection.

The Cover – 4 stars ( The cover is pretty, though I wouldn´t go nuts over it.)

The Story – 3 stars ( A re-tell of `Hopeless` only from Holder´s POV with great additional scenes.)

The Characters – 4 stars ( Holder was a bit of a handful with his emotions but my love was still strong for him and the rest of the Hopless gang.)

Finding Cinderella ( Hopeless # 2.5 )

Book Description

This novella is a companion novel to the Hopeless series, but can be read as a standalone.

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

I have three words for `Finding Cinderella` ( Hopeless #2.5 )- Short, cute and emotional.

A Young Adult reader´s dream come true!

I love Colleen Hoover´s ability to make me feel so many different emotions with her words. One minute I´m just a happy camper, loving the easy-going writing style and great storytelling, and the next minute I´m fighting back the lump in my throat.

I´m not going to bother explaining the story because then you wouldn´t feel the need to read it. We wouldn´t want that, now, would we?

I remember thinking halfways through the novella of how predictable this short story was. The idea of a young guy hiding in a dark maintance room who get´s surprised by a mystery girl is fabulous and as the story progressed I thought I figured it all out. Let´s just say my fortune telling abilities suck.

The twist of the story had me holding my breath. I didn´t like it, yet I loved it at the same time. Think of being punched in the gut and enjoying the feeling. Weird, right? Yes. Beyond weird.

As for the characters- I was hoping Daniel would get his own story and I´m glad he did in `Finding Cinderella`. I loved him in `Hopeless` & `Losing Hope`. The only character I didn´t love was Six.

First- Six was not as odd as she was made out to be. She was a normal teenager with a tiny reputation, if one could call what she had a „reputation“ at all. I honestly didn´t understand the fuss about her. Her name was Seven but she called herself Six. Fine by me. But I didn´´t see her as the ultimate bombshell she was seen as.

I don´t have any complaints besides the fact that this story was short. I would have loved to have read more. More maintance room scenes, for example. I found the moments the characters had in the dark really interesting and entertaining. Or, a more stretched out ending. But that´s just me being picky. 🙂

Would I recommend this book? To any Colleen Hoover fan, definitely. To Young Adult readers, yes. I´d even say it´s important for readers age 16+ to read this book as the ending is a little like a reality punch. I know this is just a story but the end has a message and a fine one, too. It makes a reader think and that can only be a good thing for teenagers and a few young adults, right?

The Cover – 3 stars ( It´s sweet. )

The Story – 4 stars ( My kind of read only a tad too short for my taste. )

The Characters – 3 stars ( Six wasn´t my cup of tea. But I guess if she would have been different then the story would have turned out completely different too. )

My emotional state after finishing this read? Remember the feeling I described above about being punched in the gut and enjoying the feeling? Think of a slap in the face and saying „Thank You“. That´s how I felt. It´s a wonderful, confusing feeling.

Gabriel Miller took everything from me. My family. My innocence. My home. The only thing I have left is the determination to get back what’s mine.

He thinks he’s beaten me. He thinks he’s won. What he doesn’t realize is that every pawn has the chance to become a queen.

And the game has only just begun.

* * * * * *

THE KNIGHT is book two in the Endgame series from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love.

My Thoughts

Again- Another fabulous title. An even more fabulous tagline. The content?

Let´s put it this way- I´m still not 100% satisfied or convinced.

`The Knight` ( Endgame #2 ) by Skye Warren, was just as okay as the first book `The Pawn` ( review here ) was. There was a whole lot of stuff happening but nothing that was able to knock me out of my socks.

Think `human chess´, only you know your opponents next move before he even thinks about it himself. That´s how it felt for me while reading this book.

Usually, the first book in a trilogy or series is for the story build-up. Characters are introduced in length, a mystery starts, etc etc. and the second book is all about the story. It´s where the action begins.

The game of revenge and seduction has begun and I saw less revenge and great seduction happening in `The Knight`. I guess I was expecting more. Definitely more attitude from the Heroine ( after all, she auctioned herself off in the first book. Surely, it´s time to grow up? ) or more excitement from Gabriel ( Hero- a.k.a. The guy who bought her virginity ).

The events were, as in the first book, predictable. The ball scene, the time spent with Gabriel * sigh *, the threat….

On a positive note- I do like the writing. It´s engaging. I like how there´s a great balance between details, storytelling and dialogue. I couldn´t have finished this book within 7 hours ( yes, that´s how I will sit and read.) if the story wasn´t well written.

What I found extremely cool were the motel scenes. From the room Avery occupated to the prostitute next door, to Avery´s bum-like friend, Will. I thought those scenes were far more interesting and exciting. Including a diary from a family member was also a nice touch to the story and did shed some truthful light onto Avery´s family.

Not alot of surprises in this one for me. Yet- I´d still like to know how the story ends. Will Avery find full happiness with Gabriel or will she set off on her own and live life without having Gabriel call her „ My little virgin”? I mean- she not a virgin anymore. Why continue to call her that? It doesn´t make sense.

You know what? I think that´s still my problem. I still cannot relate to the whole losing-my-virginity issue. Maybe I´m also thinking too realistic. Maybe I´m over analyzing the story.

Bah. Now I´m confused.

Anyways- `The Knight` was an okay read. I´m still waiting for the next one because I´m now at a point where I would like to know how the story ends. Let´s keep our fingers crossed for a knock out book #3, which is due in April 2017!

The Cover – 5 stars ( I absolutely love it. It´s perfect )

The Story – 3 stars ( I´m undecided. It´s not good enough to go nuts over yet it´s not the worst story I´ve ever read either. Some parts are fantastic and other parts are not for me. )

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

My Thoughts

It was through a dear friend of mine ( who also happens to be a writer ) when I first met author Vic James, writer of `Gilded Cage`. Our encounter was brief but Vic James left a positive impression and before she left for the evening she kindly handed out a promotional poster from her newest release. Mind you- I´ve never heard nor seen anything from Vic James before so the author and her work were completely new to me. All I was told was that I had to read her work. She´s a brilliant writer. Well, okay. If my friend says she´s brilliant then she probably is. ( I so hoped she was right.)

Even if I´m not huge on dystopian stories I really enjoyed this one.

In a nutshell, `Gilded Cage` is about inequality. A world devided into two parts- the aristocrats and the commoners. The aristocrats have magical powers and the commoners, who are just normal humans, have nothing magical but have to devote 10 years of their lives as slaves to the aristocrats. Those ten years were due anytime during a commoners lifespan. ( Totally interesting, right? I sure thought so.)

Outside a nutshell ´Gilded Cage´ is so much more. It´s exhilarating, gripping, powerful and magical. A total page turner. This is a read where you gladly do an over-nighter because you just HAVE to know how the story continues. ( Sleep is overrated anyways * wave off *)

A huge surprise for me was how I easily accepted the multiple POVs. I´m usually annoyed when a story has more than two POVs. Because, let´s face it- most multi-POVs in one story are unnecessary and / or just repetitive. That´s not the case in `Gilded Cage`. Each POV was mandatory and each contributed to the story. Just like it´s supposed to be.

I can´t really say if I have any complaints now because `Gilded Cage` is the first in a series and definitely the build-up story for what´s to come. By the feel of it- there´s going to be something huge happening in the next installment ( at least I hope there will be ).

Vic James is an icredible worldbuilder and storyteller. That alone is rare combination and Ifully appreciate the authors talent because without her abilities… I would have died of boredom ( that´s not really true, I would have slept. Lol )

I fully recommend `Gilded Cage´ to anyone who loves themselves a great dystopian story with lots of everything any YA reader craves.

The Cover – 5 stars ( I am so in LOVE with the cover. It´s an eye catcher )

The Story – 4 stars( I´m not a big fan of dystopian stories but this is definitely worth it. There´s romance, corruption, Good vs. Evil, suspense and a whole lot of nail bite worthy scenes.)

The Characters – 4 stars ( I see book #1 as a build-up and because of that I thought the characters were pretty good. Very interesting, very clever and strong. Definitely interested in getting to know them more. )

My emotional state after finishing this read – I´m anxious to continue the story. Roll on book #2… I´m not getting any younger!!

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